Happy Valentine's Day
by DarkElements10
Summary: COMPLETED! Valentine’s Day can prove to be a very stressful thing, especially when you’re trying to find a way to tell that special someone how you truly feel about them.
1. 2008: Happy Valentine's Day

**Valentine's Day**

**Summary – Valentine's Day can prove to be a very stressful thing, especially when you're trying to find a way to tell that special someone how you truly feel about them.**

**A/N: I focused a lot more on DannyxRhuben because I thought it would be better to save the sweeter part (DougiexRiley) for the end. Happy Valentine's Day Everyone.**

**-----**

"Dougie, go away, I'm sick"

"There's no way you can be sick near Valentine's Day. Love sick, maybe, but not sick, sick."

Dougie Poynter stared intently at the lump that was curled underneath the covers on the bed. He cocked his head to the side and reached out, poking it. Riley Jackson, his house mate, growled and pulled the covers down from over her head.

"What do you not believe about me being sick?" she asked in a dangerously low voice. "I'm sick, and I'm _not_ going to school. Go on without me. I need sleep." With that, she pulled the covers up over her head again.

"But-"

"Let her rest, Dougie," Rhuben, Riley's twin said as she leaned into the doorway. "If she really is sick, you're not going to help her by bothering her."

"Alright," Dougie sighed, getting up from the end of the bed. "I'll see you later, Riles."

"Sure," Riley's voice replied, muffled under the covers of her bed. "Whatever."

-

**-Rhuben's POV-**

"Valentine's Day is a big joke," I announced to my friend/tormentor, Danny Jones, as I sat down at the rectangular table with my lunch. He gave me an insufferable look as I settled down.

"Want some cheese with the whine?"

I shot him a deadly look before taking another bite of my burger.

"No, actually. Danny, you know full well how I feel about V-Day. It's a joke and…"

"…a poor excuse for a holiday, where you can spend all your money on bad tasting chocolates and stupid bears that have ' I love you' written on them just to have them end up in the trash the next morning. Yeah, Rhuben, I've heard it before," he said flatly.

"You say it like it's a bad thing," I grumbled.

"It's not, Rhuben. It's your opinion but don't expect other people to go along with it because they might have a different P.O.V."

I glanced at him accusingly. "Hey, if I recall you started agreeing with me about two weeks ago when that dumb Valerie girl dumped you!"

"Thanks for reminding me…by the way, I'm totally over that."

"I'm sure you are…but back to what I was talking about. When the hell did your views change?"

Danny pointed his finger at me, "When I realized the pessimistic view of Valentine's Day isn't what it's really about and you would see that if you would come out of that cloistered shell of yours and find out what it really means!"

I gaped at him speechlessly. I had nothing…could say nothing to his heated dialogue. And I was also in shock; Danny Jones had finally said something smart.

But that's when I also realized something, I noticed Danny as a guy.

You might not understand so let me help you out. The way I noticed Danny was not as a good friend I've known for a while…I noticed him for what he really was…someone of the opposite gender.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I've already noticed Danny's physical features and great character. He's pretty cute…hot even with his wavy brown hair and his blue eyes. I know everything there is to know about Danny Jones from his favorite things to what he despises the most.

And that's what scared me.

As all this was zooming through my head, in what was no more then thirty seconds, I realized I liked my friend, something that was a big no-no.

In a panic, I excused myself without explanation. Danny called after me with concern in his voice. I didn't respond but kept walking until I got to the girl's restroom outside the main dining area. I retreated into a stall and sat on the toilet, making sure it was clear of any unidentified liquids on the seat.

Taking in a deep breath, I allowed my brain to process this newfound information.

So, I liked Danny.

I thought a little more. I decided to let it roll by. I wasn't big on the whole guy thing since I have had much experience and guys in general don't find me the least bit attractive. Another reason I thought of was I didn't want anything as stupid as a relationship coming between us. I mean I tell Danny everything and there's no one I could trust in more except my family of course.

With the decision not to pursue a relationship since pursuing other guys became disastrous I was going to let the crush take its course without risking our friendship.

All and all, I concluded that this was my "I like my best friend" phase. I just had to toughen up and plow right through this. Then maybe one day I can tell Danny about this "phase" I went through.

I smiled to myself and unlatched the door. My smile faded as I saw the one girl I really didn't like standing not four feet from me.

"What were you doing in there?" Melanie Johnson asked.

"Why you would want to know what I was doing in a bathroom stall makes me wonder too," I replied as I went to wash my hands to keep up the pretense of just using the bathroom. She scoffed at me and took out her lipstick to reapply.

I was drying my hands when she asked me if I was going with Danny to the Valentine's Day dance.

"No," I replied suspiciously.

"Good," she stated, "cause I'm going to ask him." Then she pursed her lips to make sure she reapplied evenly and walked out.

"Over my dead body," I replied softly to myself as the door to the bathroom closed behind her. There was no way in hell I was going to allow an ice queen like her to go with my friend. I would never let him go through that type of torture.

I didn't see Danny until after school when sports were over. He scared the living daylights out of me when he clamped a hand over my shoulder. I whirled around and attempted to punch him but he caught my fist.

"Whoa, there. Calm down, Rhuben."

I glanced down at my fist, which was engulfed in his large hand. It surprised me when I felt the warmth of his hand send electrical charges up my arm, which made my heart beat faster and my stomach flip inside out.

Our eyes met for a second before I withdrew my fist from his palm. I noticed his hair was wet, I'm guessing after his recent shower after sports. I licked my dry lips and I watched his eyes narrow.

_Damn, he was cute!_

"Are you mad at me or something from what I said this afternoon," he asked cautiously. The low timbre of his voice caressed me and sent goose bumps up and down my arms.

"No, I'm not mad at you."

"Then what's the matter with you," he asked running his hand through those dark curls. I bit my lip.

"Nothing. I was feeling a little sick that's all," I replied meekly. _What a stupid excuse! _"I gotta go," I said and quickly started to walk home, knowing that Danny had detention.

When I got home realization came to me. Maybe if I allowed myself to look a little the crush would blow over. I know Danny like the back of my hand. There are a few things he does that I don't like. I smiled. That was the master plan but how it turned out wasn't what I expected.

-

Two days passed as it drew nearer to Valentine's Day. Riley was still pretty sick, Patrick, Noah, Sydney, Harry, and Tom were convinced that she had the flu. And every morning I had to pull Dougie away from her room, so he wouldn't bother her.

Where was I?

Oh yeah, Valentine's Day.

Even though it wasn't V-Day yet, people decided to get an early start. That's when I started noticing a lot of things. Oh yeah, boyfriends who decided to be romantics gave there girlfriends presents everyday until the big day, but I observed friends giving each other gifts, teachers planning class parties, and I even noticed all the cards my little brothers received from their classmates, and more. Even Tom, Harry, Danny, and Dougie got things.

I saw what Danny wanted me to see. Ever since I started to like him, it got steadily worse. I avoided him like the plague. Every time he called I gave him excuse after excuse to keep from talking to him. It was hard, especially since we lived in the same house, but knowing I had finally stepped out of my ignorant shell I was going to tell him that I got what Valentine's Day was all about.

With my renewed spirit to tell him, I sped off to find him when the lunch period started. Coming to the dining area, I looked around the crowded cafeteria and spotted him. I rushed towards him but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Danny standing beside Melanie, who was sitting down at the table.

"Uh, hi," I greeted, looking at him questionably.

He guiltily looked down at his shoes and muttered a greeting.

"Why, Rhuben, so nice to see you. Danny and I were just talking about our plans for the dance.

"What plans?" I asked cautiously, glancing at him, then her.

"Haven't you heard? We're going to the dance together."

"Oh," I breathed. "He didn't tell me." I heard my heart shatter, but I didn't let any of my feelings show.

"Well, I can't believe that. Doesn't he tell you everything?" she asked feigning innocence.

"Obviously not everything. He's allowed to keep secrets he doesn't want to tell me, and I'll keep mine," I stated calmly, smiling. I turned around and walked away. Danny didn't come after me like I thought he would and as a result, I went the rest of the day shocked and numb beyond feeling.

The night of the Valentine's Day dance I stayed home in my room watching cartoons, eating popcorn, and crying silently. Tears streamed down my face, leaving salty trails on my cheeks. I was crying over Danny, my best friend. He was out probably swapping DNA with my enemy. I never knew losing my best friend would be so hard, but losing him to Melanie was even worse.

I thought about how I had been ignoring him and feeling neglected he'd gone to Melanie. No wonder I lost him. I felt terrible. My nose ran and my head hurt all because of my foolishness and denial. Like any other conflict I should have told it straight but I didn't. Now, I'm in love with my best friend but it doesn't look like he's going to be my friend after I ignored him for no justifiable reason. It got worse when I thought about Valentine's Day. Now that I understood the meaning I wanted to give it a chance. I wanted to give love a chance_. Keyword here is "wanted"._

A knock sounded at my door. Thinking fast I flicked off my lamp. The knock sounded again. I purposely left the TV on to create the illusion of falling asleep while watching it.

"Rhuben," came a male voice.

I had turned facing away from the door so no one could tell if I was awake, but my eyes widened when I heard his voice.

_What the hell was he doing here?_ I heard him step further into the room. I held my breath.

"Rhuben, I know you're awake. Turn around, please."

I didn't of course. I didn't know if it was from fear or something else. He pressed on, "Well, I'll just say this anyway since you won't turn around."

He hesitated. I could hear him expel his breath in a calming manner.

"I ended up not going to the dance with Melanie. I felt miserable after that. I couldn't stand being away from you."

My breath caught in my throat. I rolled over slowly. He walked closer to my bed and sat down on the edge next to me. I turned on my light, the soft golden glow shining on my face, revealing my tears.

"Have you been crying?" he asked in disbelief. He knew I rarely ever cry.

I nodded my head in confirmation.

"Rhuben," he whispered and put his arms around me. "Why?"

I laughed harshly. "Haven't you guessed? I thought I lost you."

He pulled me away from him and looked down at me as if I was insane. "No way," he stated firmly.

"Really? Even after I ignored you for the past two weeks."

He shook his head. "You can't get rid of me that easily. I only agreed to go with Melanie because I was depressed. You were ignoring me and I didn't know why," he laughed in reminisce. I smiled up at him. He smiled back, but then frowned. "Why were you ignoring me?"

Ha! I knew this moment would come. Now I had to get over my fear and tell him my true feelings.

I swallowed. "Well, remember how you told me that I really didn't know about V-Day because I sheltered myself?" I asked.

He nodded. "All too well," he responded grimly.

"Well," I continued, "I get it now!"

And at that, I placed my hands on either side of his warm cheeks and brought my lips to his. I put all my feelings and frustration into that kiss. Hopefully, he would get the message. I drew away slowly. His eyes were closed, his lips moist and slightly parted.

Doubt immediately settled in. Maybe I didn't do it right. Maybe he didn't like it. Maybe I read him wrong. This was my first kiss, why did it have to be on my best friend. As anguish threatened to take over, Danny opened his eyes. Then his reaction surprised me.

He smiled. A huge, pleased smile.

"You liked it?" I questioned, biting down on my bottom lip.

"Are you kidding? I loved it," he laughed, his eyes twinkling.

I sighed.

"What?" he asked, when he saw my reaction.

"Doubts. I thought I read your confession wrong. I thought I was kissing you like I was a stupid fish." He laughed again as he trailed his index finger down my cheek until it stopped underneath my chin. We stared into each other's eyes, his blue and mine blue.

"So, what were you saying about V-Day?" he asked kissing me softly, taking my breath away in the process. I drew in my breath.

"I was saying it's not just a designated day in the year to spend more money but a day to show the ones you care about the most. It doesn't just have to be couples, but for friends and family as well."

Danny's eyes widened. Without a word, he kissed me. It was a sweet, soul-searching kiss that hit me all the way to my soul as his warm lips ran across mine with great feeling. He pulled away and grinned down at me sheepishly.

"Happy Valentine's Day."

I smiled but then burst into a fit of laughter. I rested my head on his chin, taking in his heavenly masculine scent that identified Danny.

"Happy Valentine's Day," I breathed softly.

-

Riley delicately peeled the plastic bag away from the rose and set it in a water-filled vase. A smile crossed her lips as she looked at it—her first Valentine's Day rose, and it wasn't a plastic one.

She smiled again as she re-read the card that Dougie had given her.

She did feel somewhat guilty looking at it though… She'd given him a simple white carnation, and she'd been agonizing over what to get him… White, pink, red, yellow, plastic, real—the options had swirled around in her head when she'd been at the store last night. Knowing he was already interested in someone, but not sure who, she'd decided on the most platonic rose she could find, rationalizing that plastic lasted forever, and perhaps that fact alone was a hint of how she felt.

And then he'd come into her room the next morning with the beautiful, natural rose with purple-tipped peach colored petals. Ecstatic and embarrassed thoughts coursed through her mind; ecstatic that he'd get her something that nice, but embarrassed that her rose looked so pitiful next to it.

She sighed as she looked at the rose, wishing she'd given him something nicer, something that showed her real feelings… But she was too shy and too painfully aware of his crush.

"You're _still_ looking at that thing?" Dougie asked as he walked into her room, carefully balancing a tray with a bowl of soup on a tray.

"It's a nice rose," Riley sighed in reply. She gave a small smile as Dougie handed her the tray. "Thanks."

"I didn't do anything bad to it this time," Dougie said hastily as he noticed her staring at the soup.

"That's not what's wrong," Riley replied. "Dougie, why'd you give me such a beautiful flower when you could have gotten something better for that girl you like?"

"What are you talking about?" Dougie asked, wrinkling his nose in confusion. "I _did_"

"You mean…"

"I got it for _you_, I like you a lot," Dougie said and blushed. "I thought you knew that."

"I kind of did, but I wasn't sure," Riley replied and blushed too. "Its really very pretty, thank you."

"No problem," Dougie replied and smiled back. "Happy Valentine's Day/"

"You too"


	2. 2009: Happy Valentine's Day Part 1

**Do You Want a Kiss?**

**Summary-[**_DougiexRiley_**] **On Valentine's Day, Dougie tries to tell Riley that he loves her.

* * *

Dougie Poynter chewed on his thumb nail as he watched her.

Not in a stalker-ish kind of way, mind you. In a, 'I've-loved-you-for-a-long-time-and-I-want-to-tell-you-but-how' kind of looks. You know, the one where his blue eyes glaze over and he just stares. Yeah, that one.

He blinked and shook his head when he got an elbow to the ribs. Dougie turned his head and saw his best friend, Danny Jones, grinning at him, his eyebrows raised. Dougie rolled his eyes, already knowing what his friend was going to say next.

"You've been staring at her all day," Danny commented. "Do you fancy her?"

This immediately got Tom Fletcher, and Harry Judd, the other members of McFly, and Danny's other friends, attention. They stopped what they were doing and sat down on either side of Dougie and Danny.

Today, McFly decided to spend the day at the park, enjoying the bright sunny Los Angeles day with a picnic. A year or two after becoming successful in the UK, McFly decided to try their hand in America and moved out to Los Angeles.

Not only were McFly having a picnic in the park, but they were enjoying their day with their friends, the Jacksons, a.k.a the DarkElements.

The DarkElements, a band made up of siblings, were also trying to make it big in America. They just came over from Australia. Members of the DarkElements are 16-year-old twins, Riley and Rhuben Jackson, 13-year-old twins, Patrick and Noah Jackson, and 8-year-old Sydney Jackson, who were currently playing by the pond.

Not only was it a bright sunny day in LA, but it was Valentine's Day. Now, none of the McFly boys have steady girlfriends, save that Danny fancies Rhuben, but you never know what could happen. Now, back to Dougie.

"Come on, mate, answer the question," Tom said grabbing a handful of grass from the ground. He started tieing the ends together. "Do you fancer her."

The 'her' Dougie's friends are referring to is none other than Riley Jackson. Just like her twin sister, she has long black hair, just reaching her shoulder blades. A lock of her hair was dyed red and it fell into her ocean blue eyes. She has a fiery temper that no one would want to be on the receiving end of.

Dougie looked out across the lawn at her. Ever since the two bands first met, Dougie and Riley hit it off immediately. They became best friends quickly. It seemed like they've known each other all their lives by how well they got along. It was only a matter of time before one of them had romantic feelings for the other.

Oh, so the two bands met in Los Angeles. Tom had already known who the Jacksons were seeing as he was best friends with their oldest brother, Julius Jackson. They decided to somewhat work together and try and make it in the US.

"It's a simple question," Harry said after a moment of silence. "Yes, or no, mate."

"Well, I don't know," Dougie replied scratching the back of his head, immediately feeling his cheeks heat up.

"How do you not know, mate?" Tom laughed holding out the grass crown he made, looking it over. "It's…just something you feel."

Dougie grunted in reply and looked out over the lawn once again. Riley and her siblings were now standing in the pond, their jeans rolled up their knees, skipping rocks. Well, Sydney was having a hard time with it, and Rhuben was trying to help him. A smile came to Dougie's face when he saw Riley punch her fists into the air, and high fived Patrick, while laughing, after she got a seven skip with a stone.

"Well, how do you know?" Dougie asked slowly.

"Dougie, Dougie, Dougie," Danny said shaking his head. "Poor, naïve, Dougie. Is she always at the back of your mind?"

"Well, yeah," Dougie said pulling his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them.

"When you see her, hear her name, or think about her, does a smile come to your face?" Harry asked.

"I think that smile answers the question, mate," Tom said with a laugh after getting a good look at his friend. "Your eyes light up too."

"Is it normal to get the whole sick to your stomach type thing?" Dougie asked.

"Does your heart skip a beat too?" Danny asked. Dougie slowly nodded.

"You fancy her," Tom, Danny, and Harry said in unison. Dougie let out a heavy sigh and ran his fingers through his blond hair.

"Well, today is Valentine's Day and all, why don't you tell her?" Harry suggested.

"I can't do that," Dougie said sitting up straight. "What if she doesn't feel the same way! What if she just laughs? This could ruing our friendship."

"You won't know until you try," Danny said putting his arm around Dougie.

"And she won't laugh," Harry added.

"And she _does_ feel the same way," Tom added, squinting as the sun light shone on him. He grabbed his hat and slipped it on his head. He then saw the look on Dougie's face. "Oh come on, it's obvious to everyone but you."

"You've got nothing to lose," Harry added.

"Yeah, nothing but my dignity," Dougie muttered. "How am I going to tell her?"

"Make it creative," Tom suggested. "Write a song about her."

"No way," Dougie said his face turning pink. "That's embarassing."

"Hm, you could be traditional," Harry said scratching his chin. "Give her flowers and candy or something."

"Or you could get her a bracelet or something," Danny said glancing at Rhuben. A smile came to his face when he noticed her looking at him. She turned away when Noah said something to her. "That's what I got Rhuben."

"Well, you're the more romantic one," Dougie muttered.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Danny said, his smile widening. "Cheers, mate."

"Don't let his head get any bigger, Dougs," Tom said with a laugh. "Don't make such a big deal out of it either. If you do, then you'll mess everything up."

"Cheers, Tom," Dougie said rolling his eyes. Tom shrugged in reply, giving Dougie a small smile. When he turned to face front, he was nearly knocked over by Sydney as he ran over and gave Tom a hug.

"I'm hungry," Sydney said sitting down in Tom's lap.

"You guys want lunch now?" Harry asked as the rest of the Jacksons walked over to them and sat down on their big picnic blanket.

"Yeah, I'm starved," Patrick said rubbing his stomach. "Noah, do you want some watermelon."

"Sure," Noah replied, in his usually quiet voice, nodding.

"I'll take one too," Sydney said as Tom opened the picnic basket.

"Then, you're going to need this," Rhuben said tucking a napkin into Sydney's shirt.

"And these," Riley added handing him a wad of napkins. Sydney rolled his eyes and giggled, his dimples appearing in his cheeks. Riley then turned and gave Dougie a smile. Dougie jumped before smiling back. "Hey, Dougs, do you mind if I draw you?"

"Draw me?" Dougie repeated.

"Yeah," Riley replied pulling her sketch book out of her backpack. "Do you mind?"

"Uh, no, go ahead," Dougie muttered, scratching his ear.

"Ok, just sit there, and try not to move," Riley said before raising her eyebrows. "Although seeing as food is being passed out, it would be hard."

Dougie thought of how to reply and lamely stuck his tongue out at her. Riley stuck her tongue out at him, before shaking her head, laughing a little bit. Danny nudged him in the side again, laughing quietly.

Dougie was stuck in his position, his knees to his chest ,his arms wrapped around his legs, staring at her. Just like he had been doing the whole day. But, now she was staring back. Dougie noticed a small part of her tongue sticking out between her teeth. He fought the urge to just grab her and kiss. Feeling his face heat up even more, he looked away.

"I said don't move, ya muffin," Riley laughed, setting down her pencil before she took a swig of soda.

"Um, sorry," Dougie mumbled, before turning to face her again. Riley gave him another smile before going back to her drawing.

"Uh, let's go play football," Tom suggested getting to his feet. He then noticed Sydney's watermelon stained shirt. "And clean your shirt."

"But, I'm not done eating yet," Patrick and Noah protested in unison.

Rhuben looked at Harry, to Danny, then to Tom. Tom cleared his throat and angled his head in Dougie's direction, widening his eyes. She clicked her tongue, understanding.

"Just take your watermelon with you," she said getting to her feet. She grabbed the soccerball from her backpack and punted it. "You can play and eat at the same time."

"Come on, let's go," Harry said jogging across the grass.

"Race ya to the ball," Danny shouted as he ran past Rhuben, lightly hitting her on the arm. She immediately took off after him.

"Come on," Tom said lifting Sydney into his arms. "Let's wash your face first." Sydney giggled as he was carried away.

"You wanna play soccer after this?" Riley asked Dougie, before brushing a lock of her hair out of her face with her shoulder. Dougie grunted in reply.

'_Maybe I should just tell her. Right here and now. I won't know anything unless I try_' Dougie thought, setting his jaw.

"Dougie, do you wanna kiss me?"

'_WHAT?!' _Dougie blinked and looked up at Riley. She was staring back at him, waiting for an answer. He swallowed thickly. "Wh-what'd you say?" Dougie's face was burning now.

"Do you want a kiss from me?" Riley repeated.

'_Does she feel the same way?_' Dougie thought, his heart beat accelerating. "Uh, s-sure."

"Ok," Riley replied before digging her hand into her pocket.

'_What is she doing_?' Dougie thought, taking in deep breaths. Riley pulled her hand out of her pocket and tossed him a Hershey Kiss wrapped in silver foil. "Here you go."

Dougie blinked and caught the candy. He closed his eyes and crushed the candy in his fist. '_How could you be so stupid_?' he thought. "Thanks, Riles."

"No problem," Riley replied before going back to her drawing. "Is something bothering you?"

"Why do you ask?" Dougie replied slowly.

"You're kinda twitchy," Riley replied. "Do you need to talk about something?"

'_It's now or never, Dougs_' Dougie thought letting out a heavy sigh. "Um, do you want to go for a walk after this?"

"Sure," Riley replied with a shrug. "Just hold still for a good ten more minutes."

"You're a fast drawer," Dougie commented.

"It takes practice," Riley said with a shrug.

"Can I see it when you're done?" Dougie asked. Riley blushed. Dougie raised his eyebrows. '_Is she actually blushing? She never blushes._'

"Um, maybe later," Riley said bowing her head. "I have to put some color and effects into it and everything."

"Oh," Dougie replied with a nod. "OK, sure."

For the next ten minutes, both were silent, staring at each other as Riley finished her drawing. Dougie's fingers twitched at his side. His eyes followed her every movement, trying as hard as he could to not give into his temptations to show Riley how much he cared about her.

"Ok, I'm done," Riley said ripping her picture out of her sketch book. She folded it and stuck it in her back pocket. "You still want to take a walk?"

"Yeah," Dougie said getting to his feet, nodding.

"I know this great quiet trail we could go on," Riley said getting to her feet.

"Great,' Dougie said standing up.

The two of them started off. Dougie looked back over his shoulder and saw his friends give him a thumbs up sign, smiles on their faces. Dougie rolled his eyes but gave a small wave back.

Dougie let out a heavy sigh, scratching the back of his head. He put down his arm, debating whether to put his arm around Riley or not. She was staring at the ground, her hands shoved in to her pockets. Occasionally, she would glance at Dougie and give him a smile.

'_Just do it Dougie, what's the worst that could happen_?' he thought. He closed his eyes and slowly slid his arm around Riley's shoulders. Riley smiled up at him, resulting in his heart beat to speed up. She wrapped her left arm around his waist and held onto his right hand with hers. '_Way to go, Dougie_.'

"So, what'd you want to talk about?" Riley asked.

"Uh," Dougie stalled looking around. '_Just tell her_.'

"I'm all ears," Riley said smiling up at him.

Dougie let out a heavy sigh and dropped his arm from her shoulders. He sped up and turned to stand in front of her. She stopped walking and looked at him, tilting her head to the side. "Hold out your hand."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

"OK," Riley said slowly before holding out her hand, palm up.

"Close your eyes."

She did that, too. She could hear the creak of tree branches swaying in the breeze. If she concentrated hard enough, she could hear her heartbeat. It was senseless, loud, and erratic.

"Okay, open your eyes."

In the palm of her hand was a heart-shaped sugar candy.

_I love you_

She looked up at him. Dougie was looking at her expectantly. He started chewing on his bottom lip, giving her that pouty-boyish look that drove her crazy.

"I..." She wasn't sure how to respond. So, she slipped her hand into her jacket pocket and pulled it out.

In her hand was a Hershey's chocolate kiss wrapped in silver foil. She held it out. "Do you want a kiss?" she asked.

He grinned and nodded.

She smiled and stood up on her tip-toes and he stepped closer. They both leaned in...and tasted the kiss. She quickly broke off the kiss, looking deep into his eyes. The kiss was a question, and it was up to Dougie to answer. He did so by kissing her, this time more deeply, smiling as he did so.

"So, can I see that picture now?" Dougie asked as he pulled away. He grinned when Riley blushed again, pulling the folded up picture out of her pocket. She unfolded it and held it out to him. Dougie took the picture and looked it over, a smile coming to his face. "You really can draw, I'll give you that."

"Thanks," Riley said with an un-Riley-like giggle.

Dougie looked at the picture again: Riley had drawn a picture of the two of them, wrapped in each other's arms, kissing. "I love you, Riley."

"I love you too, Dougie," Riley said giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day."


	3. 2009: Happy Valentine's Day Part 2

**The Heart Never Lies, It's All About You**

**Summary-[**_DannyxRhuben_**]** The Valentine's Day Dance is coming up and there's no one else that Danny would want to go with other than Rhuben Jackson.

* * *

"So, do you guys have dates to the Valentine's Dance yet?" Danny Jones asked as he and his friends, and fellow band mates, Tom Flethcer, Harry Judd, and Dougie Poynter, headed down the hall of Lakeview High School.

McFly's band manager, Fletch, thought it would be a good idea to take a little time off their music career to go back to school. They weren't too happy about it at first but when they realized that they'd be going to school with their friends, the Jacksons, a.k.a the DarkElements, they thought it wouldn't be so bad.

"Yep," Tom said with a grin, his dimple appearing in his left cheek. "I'm going with-"

"Gen Charlier," Harry and Dougie supplied in unison.

"Who else?" Danny asked, rolling his eyes. Tom's smile got even wider. "She's all you ever talk about."

"Can't help it," Tom said with a shrug. "Harry, who're you going with?"

"Jacqui," Harry replied, messing with his backpack strap. "She asked me after Physics class. It was pretty cool."

"How so?" Dougie asked.

"Well, I was talking to a few of our classmates after class, yeah?" Harry explained. "I felt something hit my shoe and looked down. Turns out she attached a note to a mousetrap car and sent it to me."

"Wow, that's creative," Dougie commented.

"How'd you ask Riley?" Harry asked. "I heard you were going with her."

"I taped a note to her guitar," Dougie said with a shrug. A blush came to his face. "I didn't think she'd agree to go with me though."

"Why not?" Danny asked. "She's liked you ever since you met her."

"I just, I keep thinking that she-never mind," Dougie said shaking his head, switching to shy mode.

"What is it, Dougs?" Tom asked.

"Why would she settle with me?" Dougie asked after a moment of hesitation. "I have this feeling that she could find someone better."

"No one is better than you, Dougs," Harry said putting his arm around his shoulder. "Even she knows that. Which is why she's going to the dance with you. Just be happy about it." Dougie grinned in reply.

"Well, at least you guys have a date," Danny said rolling his eyes.

"Oh please," Tom cried. "Like every girl in this school hasn't thrown themselves at you."

"Well, they have," Danny said. "I've been asked a lot, but I've turned them down."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because Daniel Alan David Jones wants to go to the dance with none other than Rhuben Jackson," Dougie said with a laugh. "Because he _loves_ her."

"OK, I don't make fun of you for liking Riley," Danny said with a scowl.

"Yes, you do," Tom, Harry, and Dougie replied in unison. Danny pursed his lips in reply.

"Why don't you just ask her to the dance yourself?" Tom suggested.

"Because the girls have to ask the guys," Danny replied.

"Not necessarily," Harry replied. "They just put up the whole Sadie Hawkins thing just to get the pressure off the guys. Guys can still ask."

"Hm," Danny said kicking at a balled up piece of paper.

"Oh, I get it," Tom said with a grin. "You don't think she'll ask you and if you do it yourself, you think she's going to reject you."

"That's not it," Danny snapped. His blush gave him away. "Don't you guys have dance tickets to buy?"

"Oh, right, we should get going," Tom said looking at his watch. "They have the Valentine's sales open too and I want to get Gen a rose. Cheers, mate."

"Later, Dan-o," Harry said as he and Dougie followed Tom down the hall. Danny gave a small wave before heading to the cafeteria for lunch.

He went through the lunch line before bee lining towards his 'usual table.' It was a table in the corner of the room where a lot of sunlight flooded into the room.

"I didn't think you'd show up."

"Sorry," Danny apologized to Rhuben Jackson as he dropped down into the seat across from her. "Tom, Harry, and Dougie were going on and on about the dance."

Rhuben brushed her black hair out of her blue eyes and gave Danny a small smile. Ever since the two of them first met each other, Danny instantly fallen in love with her. He's been chasing her ever since, but all he's done is annoy her. Well, the two of them are good friends and spend a lot of time together.

"You have a date yet?" Rhuben asked before biting into her hamburger.

"No, not yet," Danny said with a sigh. "I'm waiting for the right person to ask." He stared at Rhuben for a few seconds before starting in on his lunch. "You going to the dance?"

"Nope," Rhuben replied shaking her head.

"Why not?" Danny asked, tilting his head, widening his blue eyes.

"Valentine's Day is a waste of a holiday," Rhuben replied setting down her hamburger.

"Why do you say that?" Danny asked.

"The holiday is made to let those who are single realize how pathetic they are," Rhuben replied. "Everyone else who does have a 'significant other' will be all lovey-dovey and annoy the hell out of me."

"You're not pathetic," Danny replied. "Even if you are single. You're in a successful band and have plenty of friends. That's not being pathetic. Or are you saying that because you've never had a boyfriend."

"That's…part of the reason," Rhuben muttered.

"Bella," Danny said using a nickname for Rhuben that only a few people could use. He actually wasn't allowed to, but he called her that so she knew he was serious. "Just because you've never had a boyfriend doesn't really mean you're missing out on something. You're a great girl and any guy that turns you down is the biggest hoof on this earth. Later on in life, they're going to regret passing up a chance to spend time with the most wonderful girl _I've_ ever met."

Rhuben stared at him, an unrecognizable look on her face. Danny stared back at her, waiting for her to say something.

To say anything.

'_I can't believe he just said that. And about me no less_' Rhuben thought. '_That was the sweetest thing I've ever heard._' Danny cleared his throat then went back to his lunch. He looked up at her through his hair and gave her a shy smile. Rhuben felt her face heat up and she knew she was blushing.

Her eyes widening, she jumped to her feet. Danny dropped his sandwich and looked up at her. "Is something wrong?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, no, I've just gotta go," Rhuben replied. "I'll see you later."

"Wait," Danny said grabbing her arm. "You still up for soccer practice after school?"

"Um, I don't know, I have to do…stuff," Rhuben replied giving him a quick smile. "Bye." She practically sprinted out of the room.

"What was that about?" Danny asked himself. He shook his head before continuing with his lunch. "Women."

* * *

Volleyball was the game they had to play during PE today. It's not Rhuben's favorite sport in the world but she was pretty good at it. Plus, there was this girl, Melanie Johnson, in her class that she hated so much. Volleyball gave her an excuse to spike any ball at her.

Needless to say, Rhuben's team won. She, Riley, and her friends, Gen and Jacqui were talking and laughing about their PE class as they entered the locker room. Downside, they have PE at the end of the day.

"You wanna come to the mall with us, Rhu?" Riley asked as she brushed her hair.

"Nah, I'm going to take a shower than meet up with Danny to play soccer," Rhuben replied as she grabbed a bar of soap from her locker.

"You're going to shower before you play another sport?" Jacqui asked raising an eyebrow. "You're just going to sweat again."

"Well, she'll smell nice when she goes to meet him," Gen replied. "And girls are always known for smelling good."

"Thanks," Rhuben said with a little laugh. She put her hands on her hips and faced Jacqui. "I may play as hard as the boys but that doesn't mean I have to smell like one." Jacqui grinned.

"I guess it doesn't really matter which way you smell," Jacqui said, her smile getting bigger. "You get to see Danny Jones shirtless."

Rhuben paused as she contemplated this. She immediately turned around to face her locker as her cheeks burned.

"He's just a friend, Jacqui," she said into her locker. "Nothing more."

"And his being shirtless doesn't make you flustered at all," Jacqui said rolling her eyes. "One thing's for sure, I wouldn't be able to take my eyes off him, he's _that_ hot."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't your fancy, Harry?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just because I like Harry doesn't mean I don't think any other guy is hot," Jacqui said grabbing her backpack.

"She's got a point," Gen said with a smile. "We should get going though. See you later, Rhu."

"Peace," Riley added.

"See ya, chick," Jacqui said, giving the peace sign as the three of them left the locker room. Rhuben smiled and shook her head. She took a quick shower and grabbed her soccer bag before heading out to the soccer fields.

The closer she got, the more nervous she got. Her palms started to sweat and her heart beat got faster. Rhuben closed her eyes and let out a groan.

"No, no," she muttered. "I _can't _be falling for him, I just can't."

Just as she got onto the soccer field, she was nearly pelted in the face with a soccer ball .She quickly headed it to the ground and put her foot on top of it.

"Hey, I didn't think you'd come," Danny said jogging over to her. Rhuben couldn't help but stare at him. Of course, he had his shirt off.

It was hard for her to stop her mouth from dropping open. With only shorts on, it was easy to see the muscles on his biceps, triceps, and calves. Rhuben felt her heart skip a beat as she watched drops of water (or was it sweat) fall from his hair and onto his shoulders and then slowly made their way down his chest.

Without realizing it, her eyes followed the water droplets down, past a light pink nipple, and to his belly button leading down further to the shorts which covered the line of small light brown hairs that started right below his navel.

"So, you ready to play?" Danny asked, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Uh, sure," Rhuben replied slowly as she set down her bag. She kicked the ball away from him and started running down the field.

"Hey," Danny laughed, running after her.

For the next half hour, they played a game of one-on-one, seeing who could get the most goals by the end of the afternoon. Danny was winning only because Rhuben couldn't keep her eyes off of Danny's bare chest.

At one point, Rhuben had the soccer ball. Danny ran ahead of her and they suddenly crashed.

"CRAP!" she yelled before she fell. Her head hit the ground with a soft thud. Suddenly, she saw Danny falling onto her. Rhuben held up both hands in front of her in defense, flinching.

"Woah!" Danny yelled, as he fell right on top of her, "Man! What's your problem..." Suddenly, he noticed how close their bodies were to each other, only separated by her hands. Even so, they were almost touching.

Rhuben felt Danny's muscular abs pressing into her stomach, causing her to blush. Oh is this embarrassing. He was panting, with his straight chocolate brown hair falling down his forehead. She hated that. It just made him look even cuter. His blue eyes locked in on hers. She unconsciously drew in a sharp breath, her heart pounding like crazy.

Wait - WHAT WERE THEY DOING!??!?

"Hey guys! Are you okay? Or are you gonna stay like that forever?"

Danny looked up and saw Tom standing in the parking lot, waving his arm.

Rhuben blushed.

"Get off me, Danny," she said hotly, pushing Danny off her.

"Okay, okay. You don't need to get so physical," he winked, standing up.

"Shut up," Rhuben rolled her eyes and got up. She hated it when he got so flirtatious. I mean - flirting with your buddy!? What an arrogant asshole.

"Yeah, we're fine," Danny grinned, lighting up his handsome face. "Rhuben?" He turned towards her. "Rhuben? Hello!" Danny snapped his fingers in front of her.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine," she replied going over to her bag on the bench. The two of them headed off the field.

Danny tossed me a towel. I took it and started wiping the sweat from my head.

"Good game, Jones."

"Yeah, not bad," he replied giving me a one armed hug.

"You stink. Go take a shower."

"Only if you join me, angel."

"In your dreams,"

"How did you know?"

"Urgh! Piss off, Danny."

Danny threw his head back and laughed, his blue eyes twinkling. "So, have you changed your mind about the dance?"

"No, not really," Rhuben replied. "Why?"

"Just wondered if you were going," Danny replied. "You know, I'm going with Melanie."

Rhuben stopped walking and turned to look at him. He turned around and stared back at her, his lips pressed together. "Have fun," Rhuben finally choked out in a shaky breath. '_Why didn't you ask him sooner, ya muffin_?' With that, she brushed past him and headed back to the gym.

Danny stared after her, his eyebrows furrowed, scratching the back of his head.

* * *

For the next couple of days, Rhuben tried everything she could to avoid Danny. In most cases, she'd rather stay home and babysit her brothers instead of going out and having fun. Don't get her wrong, her brothers are a blast to hang out with, but she really didn't want to see Danny.

Ever since she developed a crush on him, she's been a walking talking nightmare. She's tripped over things, become tongue-tied, and spilled stuff on him. Because she has been avoiding him, she's been hurting more and more each day.

For the past few days, Danny has spent all of his time with Melanie. Sure, he would try and get some time in with Rhuben, but she seemed to be stuck to him like glue.

It was finally the night of the dance and everyone else was getting ready to leave. Rhuben decided upon not going to the dance and was currently helping Riley, Gen, and Jacqui with their dresses and jewelry.

"You sure you don't want to go with us?" Gen asked for the umpteenth time. "I have an extra dress for you."

"I'm sure, someone has to take care of the boys," Rhuben said as she helped Gen put in an earring. She looked up when she heard the doorbell ring. "That should be the guys. Go on, I'll be fine."

"Yeah, she has us to help keep her company," Sydney, Rhuben's baby brother, said as he and 12-year-old twins, Patrick, and Noah smiled at them.

"Well, if you're sure," Jacqui said as they all headed out the front door. Rhuben sighed and put her hands on her hips. She turned to her brothers and smiled.

"So, who wants ice cream?"

* * *

Rhuben and her brothers sat in the living room of their home, watching movies and eating ice cream for a good portion of the night. It was when Sydney went to put up his empty bowl. He stopped when he saw a vase of roses sitting on the table in the foyer.

"Hey, guys," he called, lifting it up off the table. "Someone left flowers."

"Ooh, they're pretty," Noah whispered as he gently touched one.

"And they smell great, too," Patrick added with a grin. "Oh wait, here's a card." He reached his hand into the flowers and pulled out a white card. "It's for you, Rhu-Rhu."

"Who would give me flowers?" Rhuben asked taking the card. She flipped it open and read the note aloud. "Happy Valentine's Day. Meet me at the giant tree in the park around 10:00. Xoxo Danny."

"Oooh," Sydney teased before making kissing noises. Rhuben made a face before kissing him on the head.

"Should I go?" Rhuben asked. "It's already 9:50."

"Yeah, you should definitely go," Noah said with a nod. "Patrick and I can take care of Sydney. We'll just watch more movies."

"Well, alright," Rhuben said with a sigh. "I'll be back soon."

Rhuben headed out of the house, many thoughts running through her mind. Why did Danny want to see her? What did he have to say to her? What would she say to him? The closer she got to arriving at the park, the faster her heart beat and the more worried she got.

She jumped when she heard a distant roll of thunder. "Oh, why didn't I bring a coat?" she asked quietly, shoving her hands into her jeans pockets. By the time she got to the big tree in the park, she was soaking wet from all of the rain. Standing under the tree didn't help much either.

"Bella, I didn't think you'd come," Danny shouted over the noise as soon as he spotted her.

"If I knew it was going to rain, I wouldn't have come," Rhuben replied. "Why'd you want me to come here? What happened at the dance?"

"I wasn't having any fun all by myself," Danny replied. "I needed to see you."

"By yourself? Didn't you take Melanie?" Rhuben asked, brushing her wet hair form her face.

"No, I lied," Danny replied. "Look, Bella, I wanted _you_ to ask me to go to the dance with you."

"Why didn't you ask me yourself?" Rhuben shot back.

"I-I don't know," Danny replied. "I was scared you wouldn't want to. I was going to during lunch that one day but then you started acting weird and kept avoiding me."

"I'm sorry," Rhuben muttered, staring at the ground. "But, you were spending all of your time with Melanie. I thought you liked her." Danny shook his head.

"She doesn't compare to you," Danny said shrugging out of his jacket before putting it around Rhuben. "It's like our song says, the heart never lies."

"I don't understand," Rhuben said shaking her head.

"The heart never lies," Danny repeated. "And this time, it's all about you. I love you, Bella."

"I-I love you too, Danny," Rhuben whispered. Danny smiled before cupping her cheeks in his hands.

He leaned in slowly, then, his lips touched hers ever so gently, giving her the most tender kiss of her life. They stayed like that, kissing under the dripping tree. She moved her lips over his, opening them slightly. Heat shimmered as his tongue slid into her warm awaiting mouth. She felt her nails involuntarily dig into his back.

It was awkward at first, their mouths running over one another's in an odd fashion, but after a few minutes it becomes smoother, almost natural. Danny's hands slipped over her wet clothing down to her hips and dragged her against him. Danny surprised Rhuben by keeping the kiss soft, tender and achingly, sweet.

He finally pulled away, still cradling her head in his hands. Rhuben slowly opened her eyes and let out a breath of air. "Whoa" she whispered, a smile crossing her face.

"Yeah," Danny whispered, nodding. "Bella, why have you been acting weird lately?"

"Love makes you do crazy things, Dan," Rhuben replied. "When you told me about how guys were stupid about not going out with me, it was the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Ever since then, I've been in love with you. No, I've always loved you. I just didn't know how to tell you."

"You just did," Danny whispered. "I love you, Bella. It's going to be all about you from now on. I swear."

"Happy Valentine's Day," Rhuben whispered before kissing him again. Danny slowly pulled away from her.

"Still think this holiday is a joke?" he asked, breathing heavily.

"No," Rhuben said before pulling him down to kiss him. Danny smiled into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her.


End file.
